Hello dear readers. I am sooo totally, unbelievably, how-can-I-ever-make-it-up-to-you sorry. Took me forever to get this chapter done. (-.-|||) Anyhow, I hope you enjoy this new chapter (hopefully I can get the next chapter finished by next month...)

Disclaimer: I do not own Sousei No Onmyouji/Twin Star Exorcists, just the plot and the OCs.


Zipping down the streets, Mayura ignored the skeptical looks shot her way as she buttoned up her slim-fitting, white dress shirt, which was untucked and over the grey, pleated skirt she wore. Black, flat ankle-boots donned her feet as she dashed down the streets, making a beeline for the ridiculously tall building that was approaching in a few meters.

She quickly glanced at the screen of her phone and mentally groaned - it was already 25 minutes after the time she would usually arrive. She overslept and left the house thirty minutes later than she usually would, and being late meant punishment. Man, she never thought she could hate anything as much as blood, but he proved her wrong. His punishments were the worst.

Closing in on the building, she brought her hands to the side of her head, tying up her hair into a low, side ponytail as she briskly walked right through the doors. She ignored the turning of heads in her direction, which she received on a daily basis, and went straight to the front desk, where the concierge, Yuri, looked up upon noticing her approach and greeted her with a smile. "Morning, Mayura-chan!"

"Morning, Yuri. Is he...here already?" She asked cautiously, catching her breath as she awaited his response. Seeing him avert his eyes, she sighed. "He is, isn't he?"

"... Yeah. And he's none too pleased."

"Great… get me the lift."

"Oh, Keiji-sama just arrived. If you hurry, you might be able to catch up- " Mayura sprinted off before hearing the end of the sentence. Yuri watched her disappearing back and shook his head, smiling to himself.

As Mayura approached the double doors of the lift, she rounded the corner just in time to see Keiji standing in there and the doors just about to close. Paling, she reached out a hand and continued running towards him. "Wait, wait, wait!"

Hearing her voice, Keiji's head snapped upwards - he had been looking at his phone and checking for messages - and quickly pressed the open button upon seeing Mayura's approaching figure. Entering the lift, Mayura put her hands on her knees, with her head hung low as she panted in an attempt to catch her breath, again.

"Morning, Mayura-chan! You're a little...late, aren't you?" Keiji greeted, ending off with a teasing note, which made Mayura look up, laughing sheepishly before groaning slightly at the end.

"Man, how are you such a ladies' man while your younger brother is such a… a cold-hearted spartan red drill sergeant?!" Mayura exclaimed in exasperation, Keiji raising his eyebrow in amusement at the nickname.

This place had gotten much more livelier - in a rambunctious sense - ever since she arrived, and he had to admit, it was amusing seeing his little brother interact with the green-tipped blonde.

"Well, I am a mere member of the mafia, while he is the boss, it's normal to see people in charge develop a cold personality while staying up in the high positions that they are born in," Keiji replied, to which Mayura huffed in annoyance as she looked to the side, muttering in a low voice, "I wouldn't fuss over that kind of things, if he wasn't so extreme with his 'punishments'."

"Well, you did go overboard a few times," Keiji stated offhandedly while he looked away as soon as she whipped her head to face him with a pink hue on her cheeks, a flustered expression on with her brows furrowed. "No, I did not! That was because of his just desserts. He deserves so much worse!"

"Remember your first day?" Hearing the taunting tone in his question, Mayura buried her face in her hands in memory of her agony and humiliation.

"Ugh, don't remind me…"

It was too late. Both were going driving down the memory lane to their first shared ride ever.


Mayura swallowed thickly, watching from above as a limo drove and stopped in front of the building she was living in. The door opened to reveal one of the men from the yesterday - he had the same bright crimson hair as Ikaruga Shimon, but was clearly older as observed from his much more defined facial features. She had to admit, he looked handsome. too. Not as much as Ikaruga Shimon, though.

Not that she actually gave a damn. Perish the thought.

As he tilted his head back to look up, she couldn't deny the slight shock at the bright smile he gave her as she stared back at him. Giving a slight nod his way, she made her way down to the limo.

As she remained seated next to him in the limo, she looked out of the window and observed the passing sceneries in boredom. However, her mind pondered over a different matter. How was the man next to her so calm and...cheerful? Just yesterday she had attempted to kill his boss, so it wouldn't be weird if he were to be on guard and cautious around her. But instead, he was being so relaxed - to the point she felt slightly creeped out, if she had to be honest - like he wasn't afraid of her at all. But she wasn't happy about this, oh, no.

If anything, it actually pissed her off.

She felt underestimated: having his guard down around her meant he believed he was stronger than her, and she didn't like that. Just because Ikaruga Shimon overpowered her in her weakened state didn't mean she was any less lethal than she was now. Yet, he didn't seem affected by that, and she wasn't having any of it.

She had her left arm propped on the armrest of the door, her chin resting in the palm of her hand, the other arm resting across her stomach, while she had one leg crossed over the other. Her right hand idled over the slight bulge on the side of her hip, slowly stroking the barrel of the gun she had on her side.

Her eyes darkened as she stared at her own reflection in the window - she was going to teach Ikaruga Shimon a lesson, and never have him mess with her again. She'll let him know that Otomi Mayura is one to be feared.

Unbeknownst to her, Keiji was watching her the entire time, and saw the look in her eyes - one with the intent of going in for the kill. Smirking, he silently chuckled as he looked out the window on his side. He was not going to ruin things by telling his little brother what his new pet was up to, but instead let the chaos unravel by itself. It always was more entertaining that way.

Feeling the limo pull up, she knew that they had arrived, and got out. Turning around, her jaw dropped when her eyes landed on the 1000-foot tall, glass-plated building that stood before her, loud and proud. A flabbergasted expression overcame her as she continued to gawk at it. Keiji, who also came out of the limo, resisted the urge to burst out laughing when he caught a glimpse of her reaction. "You're gonna catch flies, if you leave your mouth open like that."

Hearing him speak, she quickly shut her mouth and looked away, a furious yet flustered look on her face. Damn, she let her guard down, but no one could really blame her - who would've thought a mafia base looked like one of the biggest corporations in the world? Following Keiji, with several men behind them, she entered the building.

There was no sight of a single woman, just males, all either dressed formally or like the mobsters they were. Seeing Keiji enter, they all turned their heads to greet him, only to pause at the sight of her. She felt her eye twitch as the number of eyes that landed on her increased. Some stared at her in interest and curiously, while others very obviously ogled at her - more particularly at her chest - and the rest seemed unamused.

...Should she be annoyed, disgusted or relieved about this?

She felt her hand twitch, just itching to grab her gun and start the bloodfest. No, she thought, save it for the boss. After she rids this mafia of its heart, it would be easier to finish off the rest of the body. She directed her agitated gaze towards Keiji, who immediately got her message - she did not want any more attention on her. Coughing lightly into his fist, the men quickly regained themselves and put up a professional front, quickly greeting Keiji before returning to their duties. But not without sending a few glances her way.

"Is it always like this?" She questioned while they walked past the concierge and towards the lift. Entering the lift, they watched the doors close and felt the lift began to rise. After a moment, Keiji finally answered.

"Not really. It only happens when a female enters, because, as you can see, there are only men working here. There are very few ladies here with us," he replied, flashing a charming smile, to which Mayura felt absolutely nothing, as she stared back at him with a blank face. "... I see."

"By the way, my name's Keiji. Ikaruga Keiji," Keiji introduced himself, and as soon as he mentioned the name 'Ikaruga', she whipped her head around to face him in surprise. "Ikaruga… you mean -?"

"Yep, I'm Shimon's older brother," he replied, observing her every reaction to his statement. The first thing he noticed was how her eyes widened at this new piece of information, not in surprise, but in contemplation of killing him to rile Shimon up. Then, they narrowed, seemingly against the idea - no, that's not it. It appeared as though the very thought of using family to poke at Shimon revolted her.

"Not going to use me to get to Shimon?" He asked, to which, for a brief moment, her eyes became harrowed, catching him off guard for the first time since they left her house, before looking away from him and towards the doors, then muttering slowly, "... I'm above that."

As a light 'ding' was heard, indicating they arrived the top floor, where Shimon's office was, she stepped out and turned around to face him once more, her everyday smile on - but for some reason, it appeared dispirited to him - when she added, "Besides, I prefer relying on my own skills to confront others."

As she walked side by side with him, she questioned in a low voice, "... Are you going to tell him?"

"Nah, do what you wish. But I'll say this first: you can't win. I'm not underestimating you, I'm just stating what I know."

At this, her eyes became lifeless as she answered, "That's not for you to decide."

Reaching the double doors of Shimon's office, Keiji knocked twice before opening the door, moving to the side while gesturing for Mayura to enter. "Ladies first."

Resisting the urge to roll her eyes, she waltzed in, ignoring the fact, that there were multiple of other mobsters in there, all drinking and chatting noisily to one another. Letting her eyes roam around, they landed on Shimon, who sit right in the middle of it all, behind his long desk, apparently dealing with paperwork. He was visibly unaffected by the ruckus that was occurring around him, for he wore a pair of white and grey headphones - the same brand and model as the one Mayura had, she noted with mild interest - no doubt listening to music to block out all distractions around him.

She felt her bloodlust surge from within, threatening to spill out, but she held it in, not wanting to give her intentions away so soon, even if it was already is found out by Keiji. Upon her entrance, everyone had quietened down, observing their new guest. Apparently having sensed that ruckus had died down, Shimon removed his headphones, leaving them hanging around his neck, as he looked up, eyes widening a slight fraction for a brief moment upon seeing her, before they narrowed.

"Shimon, I brought her, as per your request," Keiji stated, all charisma gone as he put on a professional front, awaiting Shimon's orders. Shimon didn't answer, but continued to stare at Mayura intensely. After a few, suffocating, moments, Mayura felt herself fidget slightly under his gaze. It felt like his gaze stripped her bare, and was able to see right through her and read her heart and mind. Nonetheless, she didn't back down, and stared right back. Then Shimon, without averting his eyes or blinking once, ordered, "Everyone out, now, and don't come back in till I tell you to."

With that, everybody stood up and filed out of the room. Mayura felt the edge of her lips twitch upwards: this just gave her the leverage she needed. With everyone out of the way, there was no one to back him up. Just perfect.

Hearing the sound of the doors click closed behind her, Shimon slowly stood up, putting both hands in the pockets of his pants. Unlike yesterday, he was dressed in a simple black, long-sleeved top, with a wide collar that revealed his collarbone enticingly - again, not that she actually cared - while the sleeves were rolled up to just below his elbows. His legs were covered with a pair of slightly slim-fitting white pants, finished with the same pair of black combat boots and grey scarf from the previous day.

Approaching her, he briefly let his eyes roam over her alluring figure before looking back at her. She remained unfazed as he stood less than a meter away from her, quite literally looking down on her - since he was taller - and began to speak. "I'm surprised Keiji was able to bring you here without engaging in a fight."

"I'm not so stupid as to initiate a fight with mobsters who overpower me," she replied, not interested in entertaining him. He hummed in response, then reached out a hand and placed it on her hip. Her eyes widened as they shot towards his hand, not because he was touching her intimately, but because it was dangerously close to the gun she had tucked away in the waistband of her shorts.

Feeling his breath fan her cheek, she quickly turned back to face him, only to find his face centimeters away from hers. Leaning back slightly, she furrowed her brows and questioned cautiously, "What...are you trying to initiate?"

"That's my question," he replied, tightening his grip on her hip, causing her to flinch slightly in pain, before becoming alarmed upon hearing his next words.

"What's the deal with that gun in the waistband of your shorts?"

Deciding to drop the obedient act, she gave him a hard shove in the chest using her left hand, strong enough for him to release her hip and stumble back slightly, giving her an opportunity to reach for her gun with her left hand. Shimon, who already predicted this, was quick to regain his balance and reached out, grabbing her by the arm and throwing her towards his desk.

Gnashing her teeth in agony as she felt her ribs hit the edge of the table, she quickly grabbed the nearest object, which turned out to be a cup, and tossed it towards Shimon without aiming.

Upon seeing his cup getting flung at him, he caught it easily and moved it out of his face, just in time to see Mayura pulling back her clenched fist, obviously readying it for a punch.

Launching her fist at him, she watched in despair and horror as Shimon simply moved his head to the side, missing her fist completely, before he grabbed her wrist and tossed her towards the couch next to them. Landing on the soft couch on her back, she let out a low 'oomph' before quickly opening her eyes, ready to rise up once more…

only to find him above her.

She sucked in a breath, her entire being freezing as she realised the position they were in. He was above her, both hands holding her wrists down on either sides of her head, his right knee next to her side on the couch, while his left foot was on the ground, caging her completely, while she was on her back and beneath him. She gulped, deciding that right now would be a good time to worry about what's actually going to happen to her.

"You have a lot of guts, attacking a mafia boss in his base, where it is inhabited by his members. If it weren't for the fact I've sent them out, you would have a bullet in the head by now," he calmly stated, before lifting a hand from the couch to grab the front of the grey hoodie she wore in an attempt to pull her up to him.

That's when the completely unexpected and unprecedented happened.

It just so happens that the grey hoodie she wore was rather old and worn out, but she never paid any mind to it and continued to keep it, hence the cloth had begun to fray a long time ago. And now, when Shimon grabbed the front and pulled her up, her weight caused the fabric to rip open, revealing her lacy, white bra-covered chest underneath. Both parties were, without a doubt, surprised, for neither of them had thought that of all things, this would happen.

Warmth pooled in her cheeks, which turned a cherry red, as she stared at her revealed chest in shock. Shimon, too, was in shock, but remained impassive, only widening his eyes in disbelief at the outcome of his actions, as his eyes seemed to remain glued to her exposed skin.

A faint knock was heard before the door opened, Keiji and two other men poking their heads in. "Shimon, I thought I heard a crash. Did something happen -" As his eyes landed on the duo, he paused mid-sentence.

The three men at the door gawked at the two on the couch, with Mayura staring back at them, feeling her face getting hotter than before. Shimon, on the other hand, glared at them. "I thought I said not to enter until I gave the 'okay'."

"Apologies, I did not think you two would engage in such… activities so soon. Forgive my intrusion. Go ahead and continue doing whatever it is you two were going to do," Keiji responded, a sly smile on his face while his tone suggestive. That did it.

"We were most definitely not planning to do anything of the sort!" She screeched, embarrassed beyond belief about her situation. She then turned to face Shimon, who had already directed his attention back on her, or more precisely, her chest. He gazed at it, albeit a seemingly unamused and serious gaze, but he was gazing nonetheless, which infuriated and humiliated her further.

"Quit staring, you perverted closet-peeping chicken!"


"Oh god, I'll never live that down… " Mayura groaned, and Keiji, who could practically see despair surround her like a dark cloud as she kept her hands over her face, chuckled. "Well, ever since then, it's really gotten livelier around here, it's nice!"

"Not for me!" she exclaimed, just as the 'ding' of the elevator was heard, and the two stepped out and made their way to Shimon's office. Ever since she began working here, as a slave, she made the time to get to know those nearest to Shimon and became quite well-acquainted with them. If she had to choose one, the closest to her would be Keiji.

Despite being Shimon's older brother, she was quick to discover that they were polar opposites. Keiji was warm, accepting and kind - sometimes, she honestly wondered how he became a mobster with such a personality - while Shimon was cold, distant and, well, not-so-caring. They were quick to warm up to each other, after several desperate attempts on her part to clear up the misunderstanding of that day, and she felt most at ease with him. Which was the least she could say for the younger brother.

She swore, sometimes talking to Shimon was like talking to an unbreakable block of ice. Needless to say, their relationship - if it's even considered one - improved but did not progress over the three months she has been working here. Her desire for him to die was gone, and now, as ridiculous and petty as it sounded, she wanted to humiliate him a thousand times over.

"Gonna do something foolish again?" Keiji questioned, to which Mayura childishly stuck out her tongue. "It's not foolish! As I've said before, it's his just-desserts. If I had my way, he'd be dead by now. But unfortunately, I don't and he is still very much alive, so I'm going to do whatever I can to mess with him. He deserves that, and so much more."

"That's so petty!"

"I don't think I want to hear that from you! Besides, have you ever once thought about it from my point of view? It's the worst!" She cried, throwing her hands up in exasperation, with Keiji simply laughing at her antics. Soon, they reached the double doors. Knocking twice, Keiji opened the door and the both of them entered - well, Keiji entered with Mayura hiding behind his back and tailing him.

"What...are you doing?" He questioned in a low voice with a raised brow, his streak of amusement towards Mayura's every action never-ending.

Said girl gave him a sharp glare, and muttered in a hushed whisper, "Hiding, that's what. Now be quiet! He'll hear us."

Shimon, as usual, was sitting behind his desk, dealing with several documents. Having sensed that someone had entered, he looked up, and the first thing his eyes landed on wasn't Keiji, but the blond locks of hair behind him.

He let out a low sigh at her pathetic attempt to hide from him - which is impossible, considering the fact that her green-topped blonde hair really stood out in contrast to his mafia, where everything and everyone was dark.

His eyes briefly met Keiji's, and the said elder brother gave a sheepish smile that told him everything. Shimon put down the papers in his hands and reached underneath his desk, where he always kept a spare gun, in case of an emergency.

Well, now he was going to use it to punish his slave.

His eyes never leaving Mayura, he questioned Keiji. "Anything to report?"

"Nothing much, other than the fact that there was a slight ruckus at one of the night clubs which occurred quite recently." Keiji replied, sending a brief glance at Mayura's way, quite aware that Shimon has already spotted her. Well, he'll let them settle it out.

"Get it looked into."

"Already sent some men to do so."

"Very well. Go take a seat," Shimon said, gesturing to an empty spot on the couch. Keiji made his way towards it, with Mayura following suit. Shimon narrowed his eyes at that and growled in a low voice, "Not you."

Mayura sucked in a breath, and her entire being went cold as she stopped moving, per his orders. Keiji shot her an apologetic look, along with a faint thumbs up, before settling down. She squeezed her eyes shut and mustered up all her courage, before turning to face Shimon.

"Yes, Boss?" Her voice came out a lot shakier and high-pitched than she would've liked, eliciting several snickers and chuckles from the men surrounding her. However, a sharp glare from their boss silenced them instantly. Turning his attention back to her, he continued to grill her.

"Do you have any idea what time it is now?" He asked, his voice calm, but his tone ice-cold.

Swallowing hard, Mayura stuttered in response, "H-Half past eight…"

"Exactly. You're thirty minutes late, care to explain?" Mayura felt a chill run down her spine. Was it just her, or did the temperature in the room seemed to drop several degrees at his question? At the corner of her eye, she spotted Keiji putting his palms together with his eyes closed, muttering some sort of ominous chant under his breath, clearly praying for her life be spared.

Well, that was reassuring.

When she didn't give a reply, Shimon narrowed his eyes, and didn't take his eyes off her. "Everyone, out."

With that, all the mobsters stood up and made their way out. Mayura tried to follow as discreetly as humanly possible, but was stopped by Shimon once more. "Again, not you."

She mentally groaned and remained with her back facing him. Watching the door shut, she heard Shimon rise from his seat, the sound of the chair rolling against the floor, and him sitting on the edge of the desk. She didn't even need to turn around to know all this was happening right behind her.

"Turn around, and face me." Doing as she was told, she flinched slightly upon the sight of the pistol in his hands - years of fighting with guns and knives made her immune to the fear of seeing those weapons, but she had to admit she wasn't keen on finding out what he was about to use it for.

In fact, looking at the gun in his hand now, it reminded her of another time when she had acted out of line. Boy, she nearly had a heart attack…


It has been a month since Mayura worked as a sla- caretaker of this mafia base, she had long given up on killing Shimon - on the account of her never-ending failed attempts to murder him - and decided to just do her job.

Not without fighting back every once in awhile, oh no. It would be way too out of character for an ex-gang leader like herself to behave too submissively. And it's not like she wanted to submit to him completely, hell no.

Heck, she once contemplated on running away, but eventually didn't because, first, she didn't have the money, passport or identification to travel. Second, even if she did have any of those, it's not like she was willing to throw away the life she had crafted for herself just to save herself the humiliation. Third, even if she managed to escape, she had a sinking feeling he'd find her immediately.

Stepping into his office, on time, she was greeted by the mobsters that hung out there on a daily basis. Apparently they were the top hitmen in his arsenal. Giving small smiles and friendly waves back, she stopped in front of Shimon's desk and grudgingly greeted him.

"Good morning, Boss." Her eye twitched when he ignored her and continued with his own business. Brushing it aside, she cleared her throat, catching the attention of everyone, except him, once again. "I'm going on the usual drink run. Anyone wants anything?"

Various shouts of coffee and tea were heard, and Mayura made it an effort to memorise them all - she's been doing this for a month now, no biggie - and noticed only he hadn't replied. "Boss?"

Apparently, he heard her this time, and looked up from the papers in front of him and gave her an agitated glare. "You're annoying and noisy. Shut the fuck up."

Her eye twitched again. Annoying? Noisy? If he wasn't a mafia boss, and she wasn't in his base with tons of his men surrounding her, she would have popped a cap into that infuriating skull of his. Feeling a hand on her shoulder, she turned her head to face Keiji, who gave her his usual smile. "Just get him his usual coffee. He worked till pretty late last night, so he's rather cranky now."

Mayura simply nodded, and left to get the drinks everyone requested. Stirring the cup of coffee she prepared for Shimon, her eyes landed on the glass bottles before her, and grinned deviously. Opening one of them and emptying half the contents into his cup, she bit back her laughter as she continued stirring.

This was going to be for calling her annoying and noisy.

Balancing the trays of drinks, she made her way back to the office. After giving out everyone's drinks - and receiving tons of thanks which she very much appreciated - she gingerly placed his cup in front of him, before retiring into the far corner of the room, holding the tray before her in anticipation.

Keiji immediately noticed and raised a brow. Just what was she going to do this time? Wasn't one month of failed attempts to murder him enough to put her down?

Typing out the last few words of his report, Shimon leaned his head back before cracking his neck. Eying the cup before him, he reached out for it and brought it to his lips. After the first sip, he did a spit take.

Literally.

Spitting out the coffee through the hand covered over his mouth, he began hacking furiously while the rest of the members stood up, alarmed at this turn of events. The only ones remaining calm were Mayura and Keiji. The said girl was discreetly taking photos of his vulnerable state. All the while biting her bottom lip to restrain the bout of laughter that threatened to spill from her lips.

However, Shimon, being Shimon, was quick to figure out what happened, and without hesitation, pulled out a gun from his drawer and fired it. The bullet he shot made its mark in the wall, right next to where Mayura's head was.

Paling slightly, she sucked in a breath as he slowly tilted his head up to look at her. His bangs casted a shadow over his eyes, and the back of his fist was below his lips - to wipe his chin which was splattered on with coffee - as his eyes shot daggers at her.

He was like Satan - sinisterly dangerous yet devilishly handsome at the same time.

"Are you fucking kidding me? Chilli powder in my coffee? Just what do you get off from doing this shit?" He snarled, his piercing gaze demanding an answer. Mayura's legs nearly crippled under the intensity of his glare, as she mustered her courage - which wasn't very much at the moment, mind you - and exclaimed in what she hoped was a smug tone. "P-Payback! B-Besides, it's not like it would've killed you or anything!"

She didn't like how eerily silent he became, and anxiously waited for a reaction, a word, anything. Soon, he put both hands and slowly rose to his feet, and looked up to her with a look that promised a slow and painful death. "I'll show you payback."

With that, he jumped up and was ready to launch at her, but Keiji and a few others were quick to hold him back. Something Mayura was thankful for, as she dashed out of the office and took refuge in her new hiding place upon arriving in this hell: the storage closet. And remained in there for about an hour or so - she wasn't sure how long it would take for the demon to calm down.


Well, no one's here to save her now. Warily, she studied his appearance in his current posture. He was wearing this sleeveless, skin-tight, black crop top, with his usual scarf around his neck, along with beige, baggy pants shoved into his usual combat boots.

His attire revealed the very defined biceps of his lean arms and the crazy eight-pack on his stomach. Not to mention the v-shaped outline of his pelvis, courtesy of the hem of his pants hanging dangerously low on his hips. Seriously, for someone who stays in all day, and night on several occassions, working behind the desk, his muscles were insane. And as a young woman who didn't dislike male attributes, she couldn't help but stare.

Noticing where her gaze was, he gave a slight smirk, seemingly pleased and satisfied with the attention she gave him, and commented, "Try not to drool, slave."

Hearing the snarky tone in his voice, she immediately averted her gaze and looked to the side, cheeks pink as she rebutted, "Don't get so cocky! I wasn't…"

He lifted a hand, to which she instantly turned back to face, and gestured her to go forward. Stilling for a moment, she defiantly shook her head.

"Come over here, now," He ordered, and Mayura took a step back. This invited him forward, which made her take another step back. They continued this till her back hit the wall, causing her to curse her luck.

Looking back at Shimon, she noticed him slowly raise the gun, clearly nearing his limits. Eyes widening, her leg shot out instinctively and kicked the gun out of his hand. Freezing, realization of her own actions dawned on her as she warily observed his reaction.

Opening and closing his fist a few times, he slowly looked back at her from his hand and, with an enraged grin, growled, "You. Are. Dead."

Letting out a terrified squeal, she dodged out of the way right before he could grab her and made her way around to the couch. Too bad for her, he saw through her and moved in front of her, blocking her way.

Freezing, she contemplated on what to do next, which allowed him to grab her and throw her onto the couch. Letting out a yelp as her back made contact with the soft surface, she glared up at Shimon, who was already above her.

...Was it just her, or was there something very familiar about this scenario?

"How bold of you, kicking a gun out of a mafia boss' hand. You seem to really want to die. How are you going to make it up to me?" he hissed, looking down at Mayura. She turned her head to the side - unknowingly causing her hair to move aside and expose her neck in the process - with her eyes closed and brows furrowed.

"I don't have enough money to ever pay you. In case you've forgotten, you don't pay me to do all this shit. And the few hours I work over the weekends is barely enough for me to get by," she replied gruffly. Seriously, she wouldn't be so reluctant to go to the base on a daily basis, if she were getting paid and if her life wasn't in his hands.

But, no such luck.

Feeling his breath fanning her neck, her eyes shot open and quickly looked to her side, where she could see his spiky, crimson hair at her neck. "Too bad, looks like you will be working for me, even in the afterlife. But if you'd like for that time to pass faster, you could offer me some of your...services."

She involuntarily shivered when she felt his lips brush past the nape of her nape. Biting her bottom lip, she fought back the moan that threatened to escape, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of controlling her every reaction. Why did her neck have to be so damn sensitive, anyway?!

"Y-You...grand phoenix of immoral perversion!" She managed to gasp out, which made Shimon freeze upon hearing that weird nickname. Soon, she felt a sharp pain in her neck, causing her to yelp out in pain.

Unable to bare it any further, she gave him a hard push, and got off the couch. Backing away from him, she brought up a hand to her neck and felt the familiar warmth of blood. Paling, she pulled her hand away from her neck and observed the crimson liquid that trickled down her arm in a single drop.

"You...actually bit me?!" She screeched, looking back up to face him, just in time to see his tongue swipe across his lower lip, licking up the blood on his mouth in the process, as a smirk appeared on his lips.

"I'll leave your punishment at that. Don't be late again," he stated, before getting up and returning to the documents on his table, like he didn't just bite her neck. Cheeks flushing red, she stormed towards the exit and slammed open the doors.

Stepping out, she came face to face with the top hitmen of the mafia, who were all grinning and giving her that look that suggested they did the deed.

"It's not like that, you pervs!" She exclaimed, kicking the leg of the guy nearest to her, who happened to be Amawaka Mitsuka. This guy was much like the brother she never had - and strangely, the name 'Amawaka' felt awfully familiar to her - and was almost as close to him as she was to Keiji.

But that's besides the point. She fumed as she stormed off to the toilet, and upon entering, quickly tended to her now wounded neck. Pulling out a plaster from the small pouch she carried with her on a daily basis - she had to be crazy to enter a mafia base without proper first aid ready - she stuck it over her neck, making sure it covered over the bite mark of Shimon's ridiculously sharp canine teeth.

When she was done, she left with a sigh, making her way to the storage closet to get the cleaning supplies. Damn, she just started the day and it was already looking bad for her.


After Mayura had cleared the mess caused by the members and had cleaned the floors - as well as gotten Shimon another cup of coffee that didn't contain anything extra - Keiji walked over and sat at the edge of Shimon's desk, arms crossed. He watched Shimon type away on his laptop with a slightly agitated expression on his face. Raising a brow, Keiji asked, "Problems with the current head?"

"Well, no and yes. He is a little...pushy with the demands, but nothing I can't handle. It's not him, though." Shimon replied, not looking away from the screen. The edge of Keiji's lips twerked upwards as he watched the slightly dazed look that momentarily appeared in Shimon's eyes.

"Ah, it's about Mayura-chan, then." Amusement filled his being when Shimon's fingers paused and a pink hue appeared on his cheeks, before he regained himself and forced the blush down. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Puh-lease. Everyone with eyes can see clearly how you are totally into her," Mitsuka commented, as he sat cross-legged on the ground, chugging down another mug of beer. Despite his laidback appearance, he was one of the most accomplished assassins in the mafia.

"Yeah, but she can't."

"Only because you treat her like a slave, over-exaggerate whenever she does something and constantly try to kill her," Amawaka Yuzuru, a raven-haired beauty with a scar over her eye, explained as she leaned back in the couch she was lounging on, swinging one leg over the other. "How could she not see it as anything else but love?"

"It is not love," Shimon stiffly replied, emphasizing on the negation, which only received a scoff from Yuzuru and her husband, Yosami Jinya.

Jinya rolled his eyes upon hearing his current boss' response. "Riiiight. And Keiji is not a flirt who has banged dozens of ladies."

"Hey, don't blame me, some of them are beautiful, and worth it." Keiji protested indignantly, dramatically gasping as he placed a hand on his chest, acting offended just for the humour.

"How on earth you've kept that one woman as your girlfriend remains a mystery, man." Mitsuka said.

At that, Keiji gave a pout as he explained grudgingly, "It's because we trust each other. Just because I go around humping at other ladies' leg doesn't mean I've given my heart to them. It's already hers."

"Interesting, however we aren't here to talk about your love life, but the Boss'," Yuzuru interjected, turning back to look at Shimon, who rolled his eyes at his brother's antics and continued with his report. "But seriously, how much longer do you intend to stall? I mean, the sexual tension is high every time the two of you interact. I can't tell if you two wanna kill or fuck each other."

"...Neither can I," Shimon muttered in a low voice, but it didn't go pass the top hitmen's ears. The aforementioned four exchanged knowing looks and smirked. Sensing the change in mood, Shimon raised his head, only to still upon seeing the looks on their faces.

He swallowed hard - they definitely heard him. Damn the sharp senses they had developed over the time they served under him. Though they were supposed to use them to kill and prevent from being killed instead of spying on his private thoughts blurted out.

"Oh? So you don't deny your lust for her, at the very least?" Keiji questioned, and Shimon's brow twitched slightly as he looked down once more, and squeezed his eyes shut.

"Who wouldn't, when she has a body like that?" He blurted out, and quickly covered his mouth with his hand upon realising what he had said. Looking up once more, he saw all his top hitmen staring at him with wide eyes. But what ultimately shook him to the core was the very subject of their conversation, standing before the double doors, with a raised brow.

Safe to say that, judging from the confused look on her face, that she didn't not catch the entire conversation.

"Who has a body like what?" Mayura questioned, tilting her head to the side.

Shimon quickly put on a professional front and replied, "It's none of your concern."

Her eye twitched at the tone before speaking up once more. "Well, while you are chatting about things clearly none of my business, as you've so kindly stated, I need to go clean up the rest of this building."

"And you're here because?"

"Just checking if anyone needed anything else before I get started. Is that a problem?" She countered, more than a little annoyed with his attitude. Shimon narrowed his eyes, but didn't move or grab a weapon - which was a relief on Mayura's part - as she glared back. Both completely unaware of how uncomfortable the hitmen were under the growing tension.

Shimon finally spoke up with a dark look on his face. "You make it really, really hard to like you."

"And I don't like your attitude. Do something about that and I might just become much more pleasant towards you," Mayura replied, turning around and walking out the door, unconsciously swaying her hips sensually as she did, before closing it behind her. As soon as the door clicked shut, Shimon let out a low groan and pushed himself away from the table, leaning back into his chair whilst throwing his head back.

Squeezing his eyes shut, he ignored the low sniggers from the hitmen within the room as he attempted to calm his rising irritation and frustration. And it took less than a second for Keiji to recognise the intense look of lust in Shimon's eyes before they were closed, which made him all the more amused as he observed his younger brother conceal that lust.

And there was only one thought going through Shimon's mind: that girl was going to be the death of him.


Mayura let out a sigh as she set aside the vacuum she was holding, before leaning against the wall herself. Cleaning all fifty floors of this damned corporation all by herself was beyond tiring. It was absolutely back-breaking and debilitating.

If it wasn't punishment by Shimon's hand for messing around with him, this building was definitely going to be the death of her.

All of a sudden she felt her phone vibrating in her back pocket and fished it out to answer the incoming call. "Hello?"

"Yo, Mayura!"

"It's been a long time, Mayura." She heard two very different voices from the speaker. One boisterous male and one docile female.

"Hey, Rokuro, Benio. It's been a long time." She greeted, a small smile coming to her face. Apparently, even though their gang disbanded years ago, some of the members still kept in touch, and amongst them all, these two - along with one more - were the closest to her. It was mainly due to the fact that they were the same age as her, and they stayed in contact till now.

"Two years. Been so long since we last hung out," Rokuro stated.

"What are you getting at?"

"We are actually hosting a party this Friday, the location quite nearby that mafia building you're working at. We thought, maybe you would like to come over for a couple of hours and unwind a little? It sounds like you could use the rest," Benio explained in her ever-polite manner, and Mayura, as much as she loved to say yes, turned down the offer in the blink of an eye.

"No can do."

"Eh? Why not?!" Rokuro exclaimed.

"Fridays are the days Shi- Boss stays overnight to finish up work so that his weekend is free, and I still have to go to work on weekends, so I can't afford to sleep in." Mayura explained, sighing exasperatedly at the end. Working around that blasted man made her unconsciously aware of his mental schedule, she didn't even need to think for a moment to know it like the back of her hand.

"Why not just sneak out during the afternoon or evening? As I said earlier, just come by for a couple of hours. It's not like he can see you twenty-four seven, since you're busy cleaning other floors, so he won't actually know you're gone." The suggestion came from Benio, which almost made Mayura chuckle. Benio has always been the most disciplined one among their gang, following through plans and obeying the rules, making sure whatever she did was at least borderline legal. So for her to suggest such a thing would be a surprise, but…

"As expected from a former mobster; rebellious to the end." Mayura commented with a grin, receiving a chuckle from the girl on the other end, who replied, "Oh please. Just because the gang disbanded doesn't mean I'm no longer a mobster. I'm just unlabelled. And besides, I learned from the very best."

"Why, thank you," Mayura said in mock honour, before the three of them cracked up with light laughter. When they finally calmed down, Rokuro questioned once more, "So, will you come, Mayura?"

Mayura pondered on it for a second. It was as Benio said, it's not like Shimon had her within his sights all the time, and a couple of hours away from the demon wouldn't hurt.

"Okay. I'll contact you on the day itself to confirm my attendance. Make sure you come around six to pick me up, and grab me a dress to wear, too," Mayura finally replied, which earned simultaneous excited cries of 'yes' from both Rokuro and Benio.

Shaking her head, she hung up with a knowing smirk. It was just like those two to synchronise their reactions at that moment. She wasn't the least bit surprised when she found out they had begun dating a while back.

Now then, to plan her escape this Friday… Hey, it may be suicidal, but she's already past that.


Friday finally came about, Mayura was just about done with most of the floors, with only one left. Glancing at the clock nearby, she noted it was only fifteen minutes to six. She was usually expected to stay in Shimon's office to attend to any of his needs when she was done cleaning the building, so she was going to need an excuse to stay out of Shimon's sight for the next two hours.

Keeping the cleaning tools into the storage closet, she went up to the floor where Shimon's office, knocking twice before creaking open the door slightly, sticking her head through the gap to see Shimon working behind the desk, as usual. His attention remained on his work, but she knew he was aware of her presence.

"Um… some of the floors are looking a little messy, so I'm going to go tidy them up. I'll be gone for a couple of hours. Is that… fine?" Mayura questioned hesitantly, and nearly leaped in excitement when she saw Shimon give a faint nod, still not looking her way. She barely contained herself as she closed the door.

As soon as she did, she quickly made her way down to the first floor, before sneaking out of the back entrance, making sure to keep out of Yuri's line of sight. She stepped out into the open, just in time to see a bright red Audi R8 Convertible roll by. The top opened up to reveal the raven-haired girl sitting in the driver's seats.

She slide the large sunglasses up to rest on top of her head, and flashed Mayura an elegant smile. "Pleasure to see you again, Mayura."

"Likewise, Benio." Mayura studied her ex-gangmate as she opened the car door and slid in to settle next to Benio. The raven-haired girl was dressed in a raven-blue tube mini dress with a flared skirt that ended mid-thigh, with a black leather double-biker crop jacket. Around her neck was a plain, black choker, and she had a pair of plain, dangling diamond earrings on, while her long, straight hair had been curled and was done up in a high ponytail, leaving her bangs hanging out. The look was completed with a pair of black thigh-high, one-inch heeled boots.

"The stuff you requested for and need are in that paper bag in the back," Benio stated as she drove off as soon as Mayura closed the car door, sticking her thumb behind her as indication. Mayura twisted around in her seat and reached for said bag, before pulling out the black velvety cloth inside.

Holding it out in front of her, she nodded in approval at the dress Benio had chosen for her. It was a jet black, key largo bodycon dress that ended just above her mid-thigh, the straps studded with fake diamonds, and there was a deep cut in the centre which would reveal quite a lot of cleavage, but it didn't matter much to her. She quickly stripped herself of the cropped hoodie and denim shorts she had been wearing that day and slipped on the dress. It fit her like a glove.

Digging through the paper bag once more, she pulled out several accessories. A pair of simple silver hoop earrings, a silver, diamond-studded bangle, and a silver-plated sakura hairpin. As she put on the earrings and bangle, she tilted her head towards Benio and questioned, "Where do you get the money to buy all this?"

"You forget, I come from a rather rich and well-off family, plus I still have tons of savings from the money I stole when the gang was still around," Benio replied, a slightly smug smirk playing her lips, but her eyes weren't prideful or condescending, simply filled with reverence.

"Lucky you," Mayura commented, not particularly bothered by Benio's reply, as she did her into a messy updo using the pin. In the past, she would've snapped bitterly or slapped whoever bragged about their family, but she knew better than anyone else whenever her own gang members were gloating or not. Removing her sneakers, she slipped her feet into the black, three-inch heeled ankle-boots.

In a few minutes, they arrived their destination: one of the local clubs. It was brimming with people and it was rowdy, people dancing, grinding against each other, drinking their brains out, nothing that was new to her eyes. Amongst the crowd, she immediately spotted the gang gathered at one corner, smiling and laughing happily. Pushing her fears of being discovered gone from the base to the back of her mind, she had a wide smile on as she approached them with Benio by her side.

"Oh, Mayura! Benio!" Rokuro called out upon noticing them, causing the rest of the group to turn and face them. The group consisted of Rokuro, Benio, Ryougo, Haruka, Shin'nosuke and Atsushi.

They were originally a group of seven - although a series of events lead to their seventh member's withdrawal - and despite their slim number, they were the most notorious and infamous gang in, not just this neighbourhood, but several others nearby as well.

Mayura took a moment to take in everyone's appearance. Everyone, including Benio, had grown taller and physically matured - she hadn't noticed Benio's change in height earlier as they were seated in the car - and were looking better than ever.

Rokuro grew significantly taller, although she noted he wasn't as tall as Shimon, but that was to be expected as Shimon was older - not that she really cared, she thought with a roll of her eyes. He was clad in a simple, white, button-down collar shirt, which was untucked, and over it he wore a simply black jacket with the sleeves rolled up to just below his elbows. Bordeaux red skinny pants donned his legs, the look completed by a pair of laced black canvas flat shoes.

Ryougo didn't grow that much taller, but his hair grew longer, as visibly noted by the now slightly lengthened braid by the side of his face. He was wearing a plain, black shirt, with a raven-blue, long-sleeved hoodie over it, and around his neck hung a dog tag necklace. With a pair of light blue denim jeans and a pair of simple blue canvas flats, his look was complete.

Haruka appeared to be brighter than ever, and her wavy, purple hair was significantly longer compared to before. Mayura presumed it reached below her shoulders, judging from the length of the ponytail she had tied it into. She was dressed in a black, spaghetti-strapped, double-layered v neck crop top and a pair of dark-blue denim shorts with ripped ends, a long, silver bomber jacket which reached her knees over it all.

The attire tastefully exposed her toned stomach - a result of years of fighting in the gang, something no one needed to know but would be recognised by a professional mobster on sight. Long drop charm earrings with amethyst gems dangled from her ears, and a silver, triple-stringed choker hung around her neck, her look completed by the pair of dark brown, thigh-high one-inch heeled boots.

Atsushi was clad in a plain, white t-shirt with a long, red sleeveless hoodie over it, with a pair of black, three-quarter pants. He had a thick, brown leather bracelet, along with two red and black wristbands, around his right wrist, while a simple, black-stringed layered choker wrapped around his neck. Finally, a pair of dark blue high-top sneakers to complete the look. He didn't seem to have changed much; he looked as baby-faced as ever.

Shin'nosuke had his purple bangs over his eyes, as usual, but Mayura could tell how his facial feature had become more defined over the years, and he grew slightly taller too - Mayura mentally grumbled over the fact that most of them were growing taller while her height barely changed.

He was wearing a black, hooded top, with long sleeves that nearly went past his fingers and cat ears on the hood, and a simple, dark purple choker around his neck. Navy blue trousers donned his legs, a triple-stringed hip-hop pants chain, from the second string of which hung several detachable bullets - which naturally looked faked but was very much real - and a pair of light blue loafers on his feets.

After a few moments of exchanging greetings, Mayura finally asked, "So, what are we going to be doing tonight, anyways?"

"Drinking like the end of the world, for the most part. Also, this happens to be a karaoke club, so we'll be singing as well. As usual, ladies first," Rokuro stated sarcastically, a smirk tugging at the ends of his lips. As the group settled down into a table, they ordered dozens of drinks: beer, sake, vodka and the list went on.

Popping open her first bottle, Mayura took a large gulp before muttering to herself, "This is going to be a long night…"


Hope you liked it! For that bite scene, I kinda got the idea from 'Fifty Shades of Grey' (if you now it). Please do review!

XOXO, anime4life2112